Heart of a rogue

* Chapter 32 -

The large dark wolf tore into Leo's wolf and pushed him off of me. Declan stood before me now, presenting himself as large as possible. The wolves on Leo's side were snarling now. They were honoring the challenge I made, as their Luna but they wouldn't honor Declan.

They were about to help their Alpha but I growled at them. This was another challenge, no interference.

Leo and Declan started fighting. Occasionally, they took a step back to circle. But it was obvious Leonardo was weak. I felt proud to have damaged a strong Alpha like him this much.

I lost, but I'm sure none of the other wolves would have managed to accomplish this.

Slowly they fought each other to the top of the hill. I wanted to warn Declan, so I tried to stand but fell again. Leo was baiting him to the edge of the cliff.

If there was one thing Leo was good at, it was using the terrain around you. As a rogue, he had learned that. Honed it. He taught me to always take in my surroundings first.

But Declan was smart too, he'd probably realized.

It didn't take Declan long before he had his jaw locked around Leo's throat. In a desperate attempt, Leo was clawing with his good paw, but it didn't faze Declan at all.

The rogues now were getting restless and my words didn't mean anything to them anymore as they charged at Declan.

Due to their rescue, Leo managed to escape from Declan's teeth. He stumbled back and had his rogues play dirty for him.

I noticed Leonardo was backing up while Declan fought off the other rogues. He was having a hard time as they all were biting him and digging their claws into his pelt. All of them against one wasn't fair.

I pushed myself up and ignored the pain and my trembling muscles.

I looked at the sky, please Jenny, give me a bit of strength to avenge you. Even though you weren't much of a violent wolf, let me be one for one last time.

Images of her dead body sprawled in our cave erupted in my mind. the easy her eyes were clawed out and how her blood decorated our room. She didn't have a peaceful death, she had suffered.

And he deserved to suffer too.

I ran past Declan and the other rogues, and even though my body screamed at me to stop I pushed through. My paws trotted through the snow as I ran into Leonardo and tumbled us into the snow.

He delivered a nasty punch to my gut but I quickly snapped my teeth into the front of his throat and started shaking my head viciously. My vision was red and black, all I felt was fury.

Another wolf pounced on me and pushed me towards the cliff. I whined as my back paws fell off it. I bit into the rogue's paw and tried clawing myself up. A raging river was down below. It was wild, so even though it was freezing, it wasn't frozen. Falling meant death.

I felt canines lock into my neck and noticed it was Leo, trying to pull me up. He did everything in his power to hold onto me to pull me back up.  And just as my back paws touched the ground, he was tackled off of me.

It was Abel. Declan was still fighting a dozen other rogues. But I saw he was fighting to get to me. He had killed many already and his competition was tiring out. I noticed Declan's pack had arrived and was fighting the wolves too. I had never seen as much carnage as this. The snow around us wasn't white anymore. It had coded a deep crimson color.

Abel now tore into Leo, but he too was not a match and quickly Abel was on the ground. I roared for my friend and charged too. Leo swiped at me, but I dodged it. The movement sent more pain into my paw and I sank through it. My muscles just couldn't anymore.

The distraction was just enough for Declan to get to us too. And now it was pack against the pack, Alpha against Alpha with no interruption.

They both were hurt. Bleeding and torn.

But Declan was facing the cliff and Leo was backing him more towards it. Leo played dirty, but I could too. They were about to pounce and I could already see how Leo was preparing to throw Declan over him off the cliff. 

I whined as I pushed myself up. I couldn't stand on my left paw, so I crawled forward slowly. I then shifted to my human form, so I could stand on my legs. I ran the last few meters and pounced onto Leo, locking my arms around his neck.

I noticed bone was sleeping through my arm now. But strangely, it didn't hurt anymore. I just needed him off of Declan. I needed this to stop. ''Stop, Leo...'' I whispered. 

My entire body weight collapsed into him, sending us both tumbling toward the edge of the cliff. Everything around us seemed to slow as we fell. As we descended, our eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as though time itself paused. I saw the intent in Leo's gaze, the way he tried to reach out, to shield me from the impact as we plunged into the water below. In that shared look, we communicated more than words ever could.

His eyes spoke volumes—an apology, regret, and something deeper. He mouthed the words too, "I'm sorry." And then, almost impossibly, his lips formed the words I hadn't expected to hear. "I love you."

He loved me too much. More than I could ever comprehend. His love was suffocating, a force that held me captive in ways I couldn't escape, even if I wanted to. And maybe, just maybe, that was the reason I couldn't pull away.

This was fine too. Both of us to end this way. Falling into the river would surely kill us. We both survived it. Leo had done a lot of bad stuff, but I had too. 

But I didn't fall.

Not one, but two jaws locked onto my legs. I crashed roughly into the cliffside before I was pulled up into the snow again. My pelt wasn't protecting me now, so the cold hit me.

Abel and Declan stood behind me, both whining. I wasn't looking good. Arms enloped me and I was carried out of the snow. "I'm here." I heard Declans rough voice shushing me. "You're gonna be okay."

I so wasn't going to be okay. "Don't lie." I managed to whisper through my clattering teeth. His body warmth wasn't doing enough.

"Get me blankets and a healer."

"Abel, aid Joshua in taking control of the rogues. Kill them all."

I had never heard Declan so furious. But now, I couldn't hold the spots away anymore. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I mumbled, I just needed him to hear that.

Did he hear?

I didn't hear anything anymore. Faintly I heard Declan barking orders and growling. Demanding something from Zeff. Was he here too? I didn't smell anymore...

There weren't any spots anymore. Just darkness. Maybe that was good too.